


An Enemy in Need is a Friend Indeed?

by Lilypetal347



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: (just a hint), Andrew is a Horrible Influence, Bruises, But he has a soft spot for animals, Character Study, Description of Explosion, Enemies work together, Eugene and Lance are in it for like one scene, Fluff, Gen, Injury, Mild Blood, POV Multiple, Pascal is conflicted, Pascal is hurt, Varian Has Issues (Disney), Varian is a Nerd, Villain Varian (Disney), alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24752320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilypetal347/pseuds/Lilypetal347
Summary: Pascal was in pain under a pile of rubble. Luckily, or unluckily, someone found him.AU where Pascal gets split up from Rapunzel after the fight in the throne room in Rapunzel’s Return and Varian finds and helps him.
Relationships: Andrew | Hubert & Varian (Disney: Tangled), Pascal & Rapunzel (Disney), Pascal & Varian (Disney), Ruddiger & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 48
Kudos: 188





	1. The Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome to another fanfic!  
> This one is a bit different from my other ones so far. Like I put in the summary, it’s a minor AU where Pascal got separated from Rapunzel in the episode “Rapunzel’s Return” after the fight with the Saporians, and Varian finds him and helps him because he has a soft spot for animals. I can’t take credit for this idea though. I got the AU idea from a user on tumblr called [@thesunflowerchild-varian](https://thesunflowerchild-varian.tumblr.com/). If you’re reading this, thank you for the great idea! I’ll link the original post below.
> 
> Anyway, it’s my first time writing Pascal! Also possibly Andrew depending on how I write the second chapter. And it’s my first multi-chapter story! It was actually supposed to be a quick one shot, but my brain wanted to spit out a bunch of character study moments too. So, I decided to break it up.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> [Original AU Idea Post](https://thesunflowerchild-varian.tumblr.com/post/620288300863848448/and-i-wuv-youuuuuu)

Pain.

That was the first thing Pascal felt as he finally came to. 

The chameleon winced as reality started settling back onto him, awakening the pain of all the injuries on his body. Pascal cracked his eyes open, only to find more darkness. Surprised, he opened his eyes fully and took another look around. Chunks of broken rubble surrounded him, blocking the light from the outside except for a few gaps between the pieces. The weight of the debris pressed heavily on the chameleon’s tiny body, which didn’t help the aching at all. 

What even happened?

Suddenly, it all crashed back into him: Corona taken over, the Saporians, Varian’s return, the battle, cornered… 

That green bomb… 

It had all been a blur. The reveal of the device caused Pascal’s stomach to drop despite not knowing what it was. Rapunzel tried to run away when Andrew threw the bomb at them. After that, Pascal vaguely remembered a blinding green light as the bomb hit, feeling the scorching explosion push him off Rapunzel’s shoulders. The last things he remembered before passing out were the heat all over his body and the feeling of a wall crashing into him.

Upon closer examination, the rubble on top of him did indeed appear to be the remains of a blown-up castle wall. Where did he end up? Was he still inside the castle?

Then, a more worrying thought prodded at Pascal’s mind. Rapunzel, was she okay? Were the others okay? He couldn’t tell how long he was out for, but judging by how groggy he felt, it seemed like some time had passed since the explosion. Rapunzel definitely should have woken him up by now.

With concern for his friends’ safety fueling him, Pascal managed to force one of his sore legs to try and push against the piled up rubble. He managed to move a couple of pieces away to uncover his face, but that was all the chameleon could do before his small battered body fell limp with fatigue. With a pained croak, Pascal shifted to look out of the little opening he made in his rocky prison.

He was in the castle throne room, lying in a pile of rubble next to a gaping hole in the wall, but that was about all he could see. Checking the visible bit of sky from his limited view of the gaping hole, Pascal thought that the sky looked slightly darker than when he last saw it. His little face furrowed, more worry piling on. Even using his hearing to gauge the area outside his vision, Pascal couldn’t find any trace of his friends’ voices.

During the explosion, it seemed like he got rocketed off of Rapunzel and landed on the castle floor, rubble falling on top of him. He was in a lot of pain, but he considered himself lucky for not being blown to smithereens in the blast. However, his own luck didn’t seem to matter much when Pascal realized that Rapunzel and the others couldn’t have gotten out of the bomb’s way in time. The only place they might have ended up was…

Pascal glanced over at the hole in the wall again, feeling his heart twist in dread. 

He desperately wished he had the strength to escape the debris pile and see if his friends were lying at the bottom of the hole like he feared. If the bomb didn’t get them, the _fall_ might have. Were they hurt? Did they get captured? Or worse, what if…

Pascal clenched his eyes shut and shook his head. No, he couldn’t think like that. Rapunzel had survived far worse than a little tumble. They _all_ had. He had to have faith that all of them were okay. It was better than thinking of the grim alternative.

Putting aside his worry for his friends, Pascal evaluated his own situation. Because the Saporians took over the castle, he was technically in enemy territory. He was separated from all his friends with no way of knowing where they were or if they were okay. Not to mention the fact that he was currently stuck in a pile of rubble, too injured and weak to get out on his own.

Safe to say, it wasn’t looking good for him.

Pascal closed his tired eyes with a melancholic croak. His injured body commanded him to rest despite his better judgement. Before he even knew it, Pascal slipped into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Varian walked through the halls of the conquered castle, head facing the ground. His attempts at making Quirineon hadn’t been very successful so far. The last batch had just quite literally blown up in his face, which was nowhere near the reaction he was hoping for. It appeared that trying to transfer the memory-erasing powers of Clementine’s wand into an alchemical compound was harder than he originally thought. Growing frustrated with the lack of results, the alchemist decided to leave his lab setup and take a walk to clear his head.

Varian knew that Andrew and the other Saporians were itching to have his memory-erasing compound ready as soon as possible, and frankly, so was he. Once he got the Quirineon working, he could make everyone in Corona forget about all the horrible things he did to them. Varian shivered slightly at the thought of his actions a year ago. It almost seemed surreal, looking back. He knew very clearly that he had done all those things, but it was like he was seeing it through someone else’s eyes. 

Oh, how he wished it _was_ someone else… 

He remembered manipulating Rapunzel to go against her own father, her own kingdom, and steal the sundrop flower with him, breaking any trust she still had.

He remembered giving poor Ruddiger that rushed growth solution, sending his beloved raccoon friend out to terrorize the townspeople while he kidnapped their queen.

He remembered gloating in Rapunzel and the king’s faces when they were caught in his goo trap, pouring the amber solution near the queen as leverage, and forcing Rapunzel to use her hair to try and free his dad.

… He remembered going after the royal family in a blind rage, crushing the queen and Cassandra in his automaton’s hands, and attacking the princess with intent to kill… 

  
Varian clenched a fist, feeling sick to his stomach. No one in their right mind would _ever_ forgive him for all of that, especially if he couldn’t forgive himself. He _needed_ the Quirineon to work. Once everyone forgot about all the things he did, he’d be able to start over. He could be friends with Rapunzel and the others again, and this time, he would know what to expect. He could work extremely hard for them and become something worth being proud of. The fear and mistrust would be gone like it never even existed. 

Forgetting… that was the only way to fix his mistakes.

Eventually, Varian’s absentminded wandering led him to the throne room. He paused in the doorway, taking in the damage from the battle earlier. He and the Saporians had all been expecting the day that Rapunzel and her party returned. Still, Varian had hoped that they would have some more time. Now the travelers were back, and Varian didn’t have his compound ready to use on them yet. Instead, Varian just added another mark on his list of crimes by helping the Saporians. Seeing Rapunzel’s shock and anger at his further betrayal had made something in his heart ache, but he managed to hide it by channeling his old anger and dramatic flair. 

Still, he wished that Andrew had simply thrown them out rather than use one of his alchemical bombs.

The young alchemist walked over to the gaping hole in the wall and looked down, expression furrowing in guilt. Rubble was everywhere on the ground below, where Rapunzel and the others had laid an hour or so before, and in the castle itself. The Saporians reported that they couldn’t find Rapunzel and company after the blast, so they had to be in okay condition if they got away so fast. Then again, he had no way of knowing if any of them were seriously harmed.

Not for the first time, Varian felt the uncertainty of what he was doing start to bubble up. While he desperately wanted to make everything go back to how it was before, he didn’t want to hurt anyone in the process. At least… not anymore. 

But looking down at the exploded rubble, Varian wondered, was all of this doing more harm than good? The young boy bent down to pick up a section of the destroyed wall. He studied the broken rubble, contemplating his self-imposed question.

Varian quickly shook his head. No, no, it would all be worth it in the end. Nobody would remember this, or anything he did before. All he had to do was get the memory-wiping compound right, and everything would be fine again.

The boy dropped the piece of rubble and sat down in front of the hole, criss crossing his legs in his lap. He took a few breaths of the fresh night air, calming the raging storm in his heart and mind. 

The calm didn’t last long. Out of nowhere, the pile of rubble next to him shifted. He jolted backwards with a yelp, supporting himself with his hands. The rocky pile responded with a pained croak. Confused yet slightly concerned, Varian scooted closer to the rubble pile to check it out. 

Catching sight of a very familiar shade of green through an uncovered hole, his eyes widened in surprise. Carefully, Varian moved a few more pieces of debris away from the green shape until it was revealed. Once the rubble was out of the way, Varian could only stare in shock at what he had found.

There, buried in the rubble and covered in scratches and bruises, was Pascal.

* * *

Pascal moved into and out of consciousness as he slept in the rubble. He couldn’t tell how long he had been out for, but his tired body didn’t seem to care all that much. Vaguely, he thought he heard footsteps enter the room, but the sound was extremely light and stopped not long after, so he chose to disregard it. 

It wasn’t until he felt some of the rubble on top of him move that he began to come back to reality. He shifted to stretch out his aching body, which still felt like a ton of bricks had hit it. However, his pained body became an afterthought when, to his surprise, a nearby voice yelped in alarm. Pascal flinched, letting out a pained croak as the sudden jerk aggravated his injuries. He closed his eyes tightly in pain, hoping to just fall back asleep and wake up in Rapunzel’s caring hands.

To his dismay, this was not the case. Though he did feel a bit more hopeful when he felt hands carefully begin to pry away the rubble on top of him. Soon enough, he felt the light of the room shine down on him, and the pressure of the rocks on top of him disappeared. Pascal slowly began to blink his eyes open, but he suddenly became aware of the extended silence from the person who found him. 

Whoever it was, it wasn’t one of his friends. 

Cautiously, Pascal opened his eyes and turned to face his “rescuer.” He let out a gasp.

It was Varian, crouched down and looking just as surprised as Pascal felt.

The young alchemist seemed caught off guard if the eyes as wide as dinner plates and mouth hanging open were any indication. It was a bit strange, seeing the boy have an expression that was so… himself. 

When the chameleon saw him a year ago, Varian had a snarl of rage on his face as he tried to kill Rapunzel. Now though, observing the boy while not in the middle of a fight, Pascal thought that Varian seemed to be in a much more stable frame of mind. Sure, behind his surprise, the alchemist looked rather stressed, but there was a clear, thoughtful glimmer in the kid's eyes. 

Pascal remembered that look; it was how Varian used to look before his fall to darkness. His old bright, innocent expression wasn’t back by a long shot, but this new one was miles better than the enraged scowl Varian had not long ago. If Pascal didn’t know better, he might have mistaken Varian for the innocent kid he once was. 

As it was, he did know better; the alchemist was working with the Saporians, so there was no way he had changed.

Pascal got over his surprise quickly and put on his best glare. The chameleon tried to ignore the still present aches in his body, but he was sure that his glare looked more like a pained wince. With dread in his heart, Pascal knew that if he had to run, his sore body would give out long before he got to the door. 

Still though, the little chameleon didn’t back down. Whatever Varian tried to do to him, he would be ready for it.

* * *

Varian looked over the small reptile in front of him with shock. 

Pascal was in rough shape. Under the layer of rubble dust on Pascal’s scales, many bruises and scratches littered his body. The dull red of some dried blood made Varian shake his head to rid himself of the feeling of nausea. The chameleon’s eyes were clamped shut, whether in pain or because of the throne room’s light, Varian didn’t know. 

The alchemist winced after assessing Pascal; he hated when animals got hurt. That was the whole reason he made his critter goo traps humane way back when.

Finally, Pascal’s eyes peeled open, gasping in surprise when he saw the boy. Varian met the chameleon’s gaze with his equally surprised expression. They both studied each other for many moments.

Then, Varian realized the more pressing issue. Pascal was still here, clearly having been injured in the explosion and separated from Rapunzel. Varian pondered his next course of action. What was he going to do, _interrogate_ the chameleon? Pascal was one of Rapunzel’s closest friends, so he probably had some good information. But there was the obvious barrier of Pascal being, well, a _chameleon_.

Varian watched as Pascal slowly shook off the surprise and fixed him with a glare. It didn’t escape Varian’s notice that there was pain hidden behind Pascal’s narrowed eyes. How badly hurt was he? The alchemist waited to see if Pascal would try to run, but the chameleon only continued to glare up at him, the unspoken question of “what are you going to do with me?” clear in his gaze. 

Pascal’s eyes flicked over to the door, obviously hoping for some way to escape this situation. If the chameleon was in a better condition, Varian was sure that he would be long gone. Since Pascal _wasn’t_ in a good condition… here they were.

Varian swallowed and cleared his throat. “Have you… been stuck in there all this time?”

Pascal’s glare faltered a little, seemingly not expecting that question. The chameleon nodded warily, and Varian thought he could see a curious glint within the still distrusting expression.

Truthfully, the young boy had no idea what to do next. 

Varian had assumed that all of Rapunzel’s friends had fallen down with her. The thought that Pascal might be putting on an act crossed his mind, but the injuries all over his body and the fact that he was _buried_ were solid proof that he wasn’t pretending. Rapunzel definitely would have treated the injuries if Pascal had been with her. Plus, she did seem to be frantically looking for something in the rubble after the explosion before being forced to run away from the Saporians.

Varian also thought of taking Pascal hostage, which would be the smart move to prevent Rapunzel from pulling anything. However, something in him screamed that that was wrong. For better or worse, Varian always had a soft spot for animals. They never really meant harm most of the time, and they didn’t judge you like people tend to. 

He began thinking of Ruddiger. Varian had never had someone in his life who was so loyal and willing to listen. Even when he went off the deep end and started doing horrible things, including experimenting on the raccoon himself, Ruddiger stayed right by his side. In fact, the loyal raccoon had willingly remained with him as he was carted off and locked up in the dungeons, acting as his stabilizing pillar.

Varian felt a deep pit in his heart as he thought of his dear friend. He missed Ruddiger so badly. When he joined forces with the Saporians a few months ago, Varian forced Ruddiger to leave for the raccoon’s own good. As much as it pained both of them to be separated, the alchemist didn’t want Ruddiger to be a part of any more of his questionable decisions.

Looking down at the small glaring chameleon, Varian found himself feeling similar sentiments for Pascal. He didn’t have anything against the little guy, or really Rapunzel that much, anymore, and he didn’t want to put Pascal in the hands of the Saporians. 

Maybe… if he’s careful enough, no one would ever have to know Pascal was here.

* * *

Pascal watched intently as Varian contemplated for a long time. He didn’t know what the boy was planning, and he wanted to be ready for whatever came. 

But then, Varian did the last thing Pascal was expecting.

To Pascal’s utter shock, the young alchemist took a deep breath and lowered a hand to the ground next to him, palm facing up, in a gentle offer to hop on. He looked up at the boy with a confused and incredulous expression.

Varian softly sighed. “Come on, we have to hurry if you want to get back to Rapunzel.”

Pascal’s shock only increased at this statement. Warning bells were ringing in his head. Why would _Varian_ help him return to Rapunzel? His expression must have conveyed his disbelief because Varian gave another sigh.

“Look Pascal, I know you don’t trust me,” he started, taking on a placating tone. “But the thing is, I don’t have anything against you, and I don’t want to put you in danger by giving you to the Saporians. They won’t hesitate to use you as leverage.”

Varian scratched his neck. “And I… I just… don't like seeing animals hurt…”

Pascal glanced at the offered hand in thought. Varian seemed to be telling the truth, but it wouldn’t be the first time the boy acted nice in order to get what he wanted. Pascal had seen firsthand how good the alchemist’s acting skills were. Then again, the chameleon didn’t know if he _had_ another choice. His body was pretty beat up, and he could barely move without feeling pain. One slip up while sneaking around the castle could allow the Saporians to find him. If he was with Varian, he might be able to escape undetected. Still, there was the important question: did he trust Varian?

Short answer: no.

  
But…

Against the mental warning bells, against the fact that Varian was an enemy, Pascal put a claw onto the boy’s outstretched hand. Maybe he was too tired to think straight, and maybe he was making a horrible decision… 

But maybe… deep down… Pascal wanted to give Varian another chance.

When he accepted Varian’s offered hand, Pascal saw a small, genuine smile cross the boy’s lips. For a moment, the chameleon saw the bright boy that Varian had once been, and maybe could still be, shining through his blue eyes. Then, it was gone so fast that Pascal almost thought he imagined it.

Ever so gently, Varian used both of his hands to carefully pick Pascal up. Despite the boy’s carefulness, Pascal croaked in pain as his battered body was jostled, making Varian wince and quietly apologize. The kid slowly stood up, looking around the room as if to make sure they were alone. “Okay, I think it’ll be too risky to go for any first-aid supplies, so I’ll just try to sneak you out. The main door shouldn’t be too far from here.” 

At Pascal’s concerned croak, Varian explained. “It would look more suspicious if I used a side door, so the main one might be the best bet to get you out.”

Pascal gulped a little at the thought of just waltzing out the front door, but he didn’t have a better plan. He gave the alchemist a small nod in response.

Pascal felt Varian gently move him to one hand and use his freed hand to empty the contents of one of his jacket pockets into another. Then, the boy moved him towards the now clear pocket. “Here, I’ll hide you in my pocket. Sit tight and try to keep low.”

Varian lowered him into the pocket, minding his injuries as he did. The pocket was actually rather soft and provided a good cushion for his aching body. Pascal shifted slightly to get comfortable and quickly ducked his head low, blending into the coat so he could still peek out. Varian glanced down at the setup, seemingly checking that the chameleon was hidden well enough. With a hum of approval, the boy turned to the throne room door.

“Alright,” Varian sighed. “Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Feel free to let me know what you think so far, and I’ll see you in the next chapter!


	2. Detours and Diversions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian tries to help Pascal get back to Rapunzel, but some roadblocks halt their journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was actually super tough to write, and I don’t know why. There isn’t even that much happening, so it really shouldn’t have been too hard. Maybe my brain just malfunctioned xD 
> 
> I’m not very happy with this one, but hey, they can’t all be winners. Anyway, onto the chapter!

Varian slowly pushed open the throne room door and glanced around the outside hallways, looking for any oncoming Saporians. Seeing the coast was clear, Varian took a deep breath to school his features before walking out. The alchemist didn’t want to raise any alarms by looking nervous, so he put on the self-assured villain persona he had adopted recently and sauntered casually down the hall.

Varian didn’t dare look down at the hidden Pascal, but he could feel the chameleon craning his head back and forth, clearly on edge. He tried to walk as smoothly as possible to avoid jostling the injured reptile in his pocket. Despite his efforts, the boy felt Pascal wince when the jacket swayed just a bit too much. 

Although an apology bubbled in his throat, Varian held back the urge to speak and ask Pascal if he was okay. The beat up chameleon clearly _wasn’t_ okay, and he wouldn’t be any better if Varian got them caught because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Besides, once Pascal was back with Rapunzel, he could finally get some medical attention.

Still, no matter how much logical reasoning he used, Varian’s conscience whispered that he shouldn't just take Pascal outside and leave him to find Rapunzel alone. In his current injured state, the small reptile could hardly even move, and there was no telling where the princess could be. The alchemist pondérée whether he could stop by the infirmary to pick up some supplies for Pascal’s wounds, or maybe he could go back to his lab and scavenge supplies there. 

The thought was tempting, but it could put them in a dicey situation. What would he say if a Saporian caught him? What if they saw Pascal? 

Was it worth it? 

… The image of Pascal’s bruised and scraped body flashed through Varian’s head. The poor chameleon, buried in rubble, caught in an explosion that was caused by _his_ alchemical bomb… 

Varian’s steps faltered to a stop. 

He looked down at the ground in thought, and then peered down a nearby hallway. The alchemist had studied many maps of the castle when he and the Saporians first took over Corona. If he remembered correctly, that hallway was a fast way to his makeshift lab. Unfortunately, it also led away from the front door. 

He had to make a choice: get Pascal out as soon as possible in his current injured state, or risk being caught to get treatment supplies?

Varian felt a nudge from his pocket and chanced a peek down at the occupant. Pascal had partially uncamouflaged his face, and he raised an eyebrow in what Varian interpreted as a questioning look. Biting his lip, the alchemist looked back up and swiveled between the way leading out and the way leading to his lab.

At long last, he made his choice.

Turning quickly, Varian started at a brisk walk towards his lab. Pascal gave a quiet alarmed croak, seeing they were going the opposite way from the front door. Varian, not wanting the chameleon to think he was betraying his trust _again_ , risked a small reassurance. “It’s okay. I’ll explain in a bit,” he whispered.

Pascal gave him a skeptical stare. The chameleon looked willing to go along with it, but he made the “I’m watching you” gesture with his tail in warning. Varian chose to look away with a gulp. The young boy hoped against all hope that the Saporians wouldn’t be around. He didn’t want to break the fragile trust that he and Pascal had right now.

To Varian’s relief, they made it to his lab without incident. Varian opened the door and stepped inside, letting out a breath he didn’t even know he had been holding. He looked around the room, surveying his available supplies.

For the first time in quite awhile, Varian began to gather some first-aid equipment.

* * *

Pascal was confused when Varian suddenly stopped his trek to the front door, but that confusion quickly turned to suspicion as the boy turned down a side hallway. Varian had given an assurance that he’d explain later. Nevertheless, Pascal felt apprehensive about being taken somewhere he didn’t know. He still didn’t fully trust Varian, and while Pascal wanted to believe he had good intentions, the kid wasn’t being too clear about what he was doing. 

This was the same kid who tried to kill his best friend a year ago… yet also the same one who was apparently helping him now… 

Pascal was still unsure of how he felt towards the young alchemist.

Varian took them down the side hall and down a winding staircase. Eventually, Pascal felt Varian stop again. When the chameleon looked out, he saw the boy turn the knob of a plain looking door and walk in. He heard Varian sigh with relief and relax as he entered, so Pascal decided to scope out where they were.

The room they were in was dim with dark turquoise brick walls, reminding the chameleon of the royal dungeons. In the middle of the room, there was a table covered with alchemical equipment. Vials, beakers, burners, and chemicals that Pascal couldn’t identify littered the surface. Hastily scrawled notes also featured heavily among the equipment, some being crumpled up in clear frustration. From the cluttered alchemy setup, Pascal deduced that this was Varian’s lab. The real question was, why were they here?

Pascal felt Varian carefully reach into his pocket to pick him up. Having rested his battered body while Varian was walking, Pascal was able to shift into a better position to be picked up without much protest from his injuries. Gently, Varian eased him out of the pocket and supported his frame with both hands underneath him. Then, Varian walked over to the table, pushed away some balled up notes, and placed Pascal down on the wood. 

“Okay, stay there for a second,” the boy ordered, turning away and walking over to a cabinet. “I’m going to look for some supplies to treat your wounds.”

For what felt like the billionth time today, Pascal’s expression gaped in surprise. Didn’t Varian say that it was too risky to stop for medical supplies? He croaked, trying to convey his question to the human.

Varian paused in his search, looking over at Pascal with a small rectangular pack in his hand. The boy seemed to understand his confusion, and he sighed as he spoke.

“I know, I know, I remember what I said earlier,” he started, scratching his neck. “This _is_ pretty risky, but I’ll just grab the supplies here and treat you once we get out of the castle. The town is… relatively clear of people nowadays, so it should be safe there.”

Ignoring the bit about the ghostly town, Pascal supposed that was a solid plan. Though the answer to his question didn’t erase his surprise when he came to another startling realization; Varian was already jeopardizing his allegiance with the Saporians just by helping him escape, and now he was playing with fire by stopping to get medical supplies for him. 

The chameleon recalled Varian’s earlier words: 

_“I don’t want to put you in danger by giving you to the Saporians.”_

_“I just… don’t like seeing animals hurt...”_

Pascal could easily see that Varian wasn’t the vengeful, broken teenager from the year before anymore. Back then, Varian had no qualms with locking Pascal up to keep him out of his way. Now though, the alchemist was willingly returning him to Rapunzel, the very person he had been angry at for so long and still seemingly opposed during the recent fight. Maybe it was his animal status or his numerous injuries earning him pity points from Varian, but clearly some of the kid’s old compassion was back. The alchemist didn't even want to keep Pascal at least locked up somewhere so that he wouldn’t be able to help Rapunzel. 

But if the boy really was thinking clearly, if he truly wanted to be a better person, that begged the question of why Varian was helping enemies of the kingdom. Pascal was missing some part of the puzzle, and he couldn’t figure out what it was.

… What exactly _was_ Varian’s end goal? What would wiping everyone’s memory do?

While Pascal fell deep into his pondering, Varian went around the lab and picked up many different objects. The chameleon recognized some basic first aid items that Varian pulled out of the rectangular pack, but he was stumped by some of the alchemist’s more unusual supplies. Among the bandages, gauze, and ointment that Varian gathered were several vials of mysterious liquids. Pascal snapped out of his thoughts and gulped nervously, eyeing a vial with a strange red substance. 

“Okay, I think that’s enough,” Varian stated, walking over to the table with one last vial of clear liquid. When he noticed Pascal’s uneasy expression at yet another unknown substance, Varian gave a short, sympathetic chuckle. “Oh, these vials probably look really questionable, huh?”

Pascal gave a small nod. Then, he narrowed his eyes slightly in a silent threat that should Varian even _think_ of pulling something, he would regret it immensely. The intimidation worked well, causing the boy to raise his hands in a placating manner with wide eyes. “Woah, easy! These vials are alchemical remedies that should help you feel better, and this one is just some water to clean you off,” he explained, shaking the vial in his hand.

Pascal studied the kid for a few moments before finally relenting. If Varian wanted to use chemicals to harm him, he probably would have by now. After all, Pascal was certain there were plenty of alchemical weapons in his belt and coat that he easily could have used. 

Once Pascal’s suspicion faded, Varian stowed away the last of the medical supplies and gingerly lifted Pascal into his pocket again. Taking another deep breath, Varian peeked out the door. Pascal didn’t have a good vantage point to tell, but he felt when Varian ascertained that no one was coming and began walking back the way they came. Like their walk to the lab, they didn’t come across anyone on the way to the front door. Pascal kept glancing around from his hiding spot, not trusting their luck of missing all the Saporians.

Lo and behold, like Pascal once heard Eugene say, “if things _can_ go wrong, they usually do.”

They were _so close_. The front door finally came into view, and Pascal could feel the slight quickening of Varian’s steps as he walked over to it. But right as the alchemist stood in front of the door and reached up to open it, Pascal heard what he had been dreading the most.

“Hey kid, whatcha doing?”

Varian whipped around in surprise, accidentally jostling the coat pocket Pascal was hiding in as he turned. Pascal clamped his mouth shut, muffling his croak of pain at the aggravation to his injuries. When he recovered, Pascal saw the young boy look up to meet the eternal smirk of the Saporian. 

_Andrew._

* * *

Varian couldn’t believe that they somehow got past all the Saporians roaming the halls. The entire walk, he barely managed to suppress his anxiety in an attempt to exude a nonchalant, totally-not-up-to-something aura in case they ran into anybody. When the front door finally came into view, the alchemist almost wanted to collapse in relief. 

But of course, Andrew found them right as they were about to leave.

Varian gazed up at the older man, trying to form words. He decided to play off of his own shock. “O-Oh, Andrew! You startled me,” he stuttered, chuckling nervously.

Andrew gave an amused chuckle of his own. “Man, that never gets old. Are you always this wound up?” the Saporian leader questioned, giving Varian a playful nudge with his elbow. “You need to relax, try some of those essential oils that Kai keeps going on about or something.”

Varian scratched his neck, forcing a shaky smile onto his face. “Um, yeah, sure…”

“Well anyway, what are you doing here?” Andrew glanced at the door behind the boy with some scrutiny. “Shouldn’t you be making - er, fixing that explosive Quirineon?”

Varian fiddled his thumbs together for a second, trying to make up an excuse. _Come on, Varian, think of something!_ he screamed at himself.

“Oh, yeah, I was working on that,” the alchemist started. “But I wanted to go, uh… get some fresh air! Y’know, improve my focus,” he finished, giving Andrew a lopsided grin.

Andrew raised an eyebrow. “Hmm, really? I didn’t take you as a guy who went on walks to clear your head. Or just took breaks in general.”

Seeing the Saporian’s skepticism, Varian knew he had to try and be a bit more convincing. “Hey, you _did_ just say that I needed to relax, didn’t you?” he sassed, earning himself a smirk from the other man.

“Okay, you got me there,” Andrew joked, raising his hands in mock surrender.

Varian put on a smirk of his own, falling into his villainous persona. “And besides, I won’t just be taking a lovely stroll. I’m going into town to pick up some alchemy materials, and maybe scope out where the best places to hit with the Quirineon would be to maximize the memory-wiping effect.”

“Good call, buddy. Way to think ahead.” Andrew clapped a hand on Varian’s back, knocking him off balance slightly. “But what materials do you need? I thought we got enough of those crystals from the Coronian mines already.”

“Oh, we did. But I need to get some ammonium perchlorate to try and stabilize the Quirineon, make it have the desired effect,” Varian lied, inwardly snickering at the absurd statement.

Andrew, obviously not knowing what that was, simply nodded along like he understood perfectly. “Alright, sounds good. I’ll get one of the others to come help you out.”

Varian’s eyes widened slightly in alarm, before quickly remembering his act. “Oh, no, that won’t be necessary,” the alchemist assured, waving a hand in a dismissive fashion. “It’ll be more efficient if I go alone. The others wouldn’t even know what I’m looking for.”

Andrew hummed in thought, crossing his arms. “Well, I guess you do know the most about this stuff,” he relented with a shrug. “Go ahead. Oh, and make sure to give me the spots that will be the best to hit,” Andrew smirked, a dangerous gleam in his eye.

Varian forced his expression to have the same dark edge to it. “Heh, will do.”

With that, Varian turned away from the Saporian. Hands slightly trembling in residual panic at being caught and elation at successfully lying, he opened the large front door and finally stepped outside.   
  


* * *

Scrunched up in Varian’s pocket, Pascal held his breath throughout the entire encounter with Andrew. The action was mainly to minimize the chances of drawing Andrew’s attention. If the man looked too closely at the boy’s coat pocket, he easily could have seen him. His thumping heartbeat was so loud in his ears, Pascal was a bit worried that the Saporian would be able to hear it. Luckily, Andrew didn’t notice him, and Varian managed to lie his way out of the castle.

At least, Pascal sure _hoped_ he was lying.

The young boy had seemed nervous when Andrew first arrived, which Pascal assumed was him trying to come up with something to say. But once Varian got his act together, Pascal honestly couldn’t tell if the alchemist was actually lying or not, and the thought unnerved him. Was Varian tricking him? Was he really just furthering his own sinister plans under the guise of helping him? Although Pascal had seen the glimmers of good still inside of Varian, the chameleon couldn’t help but wonder if the boy had some darker intentions. 

Then again, the kid did have a knack for acting. Maybe this time… he used it to help someone else.

Varian had kept to his word this entire time, so Pascal didn’t have a reason to be this suspicious of him, aside from the boy’s… previous transgressions. Mind made up, Pascal mentally shook off the doubt. 

  
The cool night air flowed around the chameleon as Varian walked out of the castle doors. He gave a small, content croak at the refreshing feeling. Peeking out of the pocket once more, Pascal glanced up at Varian. The human still looked tense, his gaze rigidly staring ahead as he walked through the courtyard. However, as soon as he got out of the courtyard and the castle’s sight, Varian visibly relaxed. The boy leaned over next to a building and rested his hands on his bent knees.

“Whew. Okay, we’re out,” Varian sighed, looking down and meeting Pascal’s eyes for the first time in awhile. “... Thanks, by the way… for giving me a chance.”

Pascal did a double take at the thanks. He also noticed that a hesitant, kind smile adorned Varian’s face, and the chameleon felt a pang at the welcome and painfully familiar sight. He gladly returned the gesture with a small grin of his own.

Varian suddenly snorted a chuckle. “Wow, I can’t believe Andrew bought that excuse! I mean, using ammonium perchlorate as a stabilizer? Heh, imagine that!”

Pascal tilted his head, unsure why it was so funny. Nevertheless, the sight of Varian laughing at his own, probably alchemy related, joke was nice to see. When was the last time he had seen the kid crack a smile or laugh at a silly joke just for the fun of it? Had he _ever_?

All too soon, the pleasant moment passed. Varian sobered up, getting back into business mode. “Alright, we should get going. If I’m gone for too long, the Saporians might suspect something’s up,” he admitted, scanning the area of town they were in. “First, let’s patch you up, and then I’ll help you get back to Rapunzel.”

Pascal gave an affirmative nod. Pushing off the wall, Varian glanced around the desolate capital. The boy started making his way through the town, looking for a good spot to hide out, chameleon at his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behind the Scenes Fact: the alchemy joke that Varian originally made was that he needed some sodium chloride (aka salt), and he laughed about how it was really just a household item that could be found literally anywhere. In the end, I decided that wasn’t very good, so I googled “unstable chemicals,” saw ammonium perchlorate, looked up the properties (I think it’s explosive?), and made that the joke.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter even though I personally didn’t think it turned out that well. Feel free to let me know what you think, and see you in the next (and possibly final) chapter!


	3. Addressing Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian finally helps patch up Pascal’s many injuries, and Pascal tries to make the misguided boy see reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeesh, sorry about the wait on this chapter! Hopefully the longer length makes up for it.
> 
> This chapter fought me every step of the way. I can’t count how many times I had to change or delete a large chunk of text because it just wasn’t good. And then it got rather long, so I decided to have the reunion with Rapunzel/separation of these two boys in another chapter and leave this one for the healing and talking.
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy!

Varian wandered through the empty streets of Corona, searching for a place to treat Pascal’s wounds. He looked down alleyways and eyed some open front shops, but each was too exposed for his liking. Remembering the lie he told Andrew, Varian also looked around for places that would be good to use the Quirineon on. Although the excuse of going on a supply run and scouting mission was just a ruse, the alchemist needed something to tell the man once he got back. Plus, planning out where to drop the gas ahead of time wasn’t a bad idea.

Offhandedly, the young boy mused that to someone who didn’t know better, he probably appeared to be a lost child trying to find his way home.

Well, the assumption that he had lost his way wouldn’t be _completely_ wrong…

What was he even _doing_?

The boy knew that he had lost himself after accidentally encasing his dad and turning into a bad guy to try and fix it, but he thought that he finally found his way again in prison. The time in jail made Varian realize the true extent of what he had done, and that’s when Andrew persuaded him into joining forces with the Saporians by saying they could help him erase his past actions. At the time, making everyone forget sounded great, and in some ways, it still did. But was that really what he wanted? If the cost of the plan was continuing to act like a villain and unintentionally injuring others, did he really think it was worth it?

Just an hour or so before, when he looked at the rubble of the explosion, Varian had asked himself a similar question. His answer had been that it would obviously be worth it in the end; no one would remember how much pain he had caused in the past or recently. But that was before he found Pascal. Now, after digging an injured and weakened Pascal out of rubble, after seeing the flickers of what he hoped was trust in the chameleon’s eyes as he snuck him out, Varian wasn’t quite sure anymore… 

He wasn’t even angry at Rapunzel or Corona any longer, yet he was still acting like their enemy. Sure, they wouldn’t remember this fact if he wiped their memories, but _he_ would. Varian would remember all the horrible things he had done, and nobody would be any the wiser. Everyone would look at him like he wasn’t an awful person, oblivious to the truth. No one would recall his destruction and villainy, true…

...But no one would be able to forgive him, either.

After all, people can’t forgive what they forgot. Part of why Varian had agreed to this plan was that he believed nobody would forgive him for all that he had done. 

And yet, Pascal gave him a chance even though he hadn’t done much to deserve one. For the first time in months, Varian had felt a glimmer of hope that he really could be forgiven.

But… Varian was so deep in the darkness, and he didn’t know how to get out. He couldn’t simply give up on the plan with the Saporians. After all, _“traitors to Saporia pay with their lives.”_ Moreover, he couldn’t just waltz up to Rapunzel and the others and say “hey, sorry for making your lives a nightmare, but now I’m totally good!” Still, he didn’t want to keep doing questionable things and causing more pain… What should he do?

Despite his return to some form of sanity, maybe Varian was just as lost as he was before… 

Suddenly, the sound of Pascal’s confused croak broke the young alchemist out of his long inner monologue. Varian snapped back to reality and met the chameleon’s gaze. Pascal looked back, clearly wondering what the boy had been thinking so hard about. Seeing what appeared to be a hint of _concern_ of all things on the small reptile’s face, Varian nearly cringed. Pascal shouldn’t be concerned about him; he was the reason he got hurt in the first place, not to mention all the despicable acts of violence he had committed against people the chameleon cared about.

Varian shoved his thoughts aside. One thing at a time. Right now, he wanted to focus on helping Pascal.

“Sorry about that,” Varian apologized. “I just… have a lot on my mind.” _Understatement of the year, there._

Pascal raised a brow in a silent question, but the boy glanced away and avoided the look.

Not long after, Varian stopped and peered into an alley. It had just enough light from the moon, several crates to use as flat surfaces, and a good amount of cover from any prying eyes. 

“This looks like a good place to stop,” he decided. Varian walked into the alley and let Pascal inspect it himself.

When he got no complaints, Varian bent over slightly next to a crate. He gingerly scooped up the chameleon from his pocket and placed him on the wooden box. After getting Pascal settled down on the surface, the alchemist reached into his many pockets and began pulling out the medical supplies he had collected from his lab.

“Well,” Varian sighed. “Ready to get started?”  
  


* * *

  
Pascal observed Varian’s expression throughout the walk. Despite being preoccupied with searching, the boy seemed rather troubled. He recognized the look immediately; Rapunzel wore a similar expression whenever she had to make a difficult decision. The chameleon wondered what Varian could be debating with himself about for so long. Surprisingly, Pascal found that he was actually more worried about him than suspicious of him. Maybe his instincts had loosened up after spending some time with the alchemist.

Eventually, Varian’s troubled face grew stormy. The boy clenched his eyes and shook his head a few times as if his thoughts themselves were painful. Pascal frowned and decided to bring Varian out of his stupor by croaking. Although it wasn’t as attention grabbing or fun as using his tongue, it got the job done. 

The kid sheepishly apologized for getting caught in his thoughts, but he still looked frazzled by something as he explained that he had a lot on his mind. When Pascal nudged him to elaborate, Varian just ignored him and turned his gaze back to the road ahead. 

Pascal still couldn’t quite pin Varian down. Every time he thought he understood something about the boy, Pascal got confused all over again. Varian was clearly trying to help him, showing he had his moral compass somewhat aligned, but he was also being rather cryptic and still working with a terrorist group.. 

Was this what normal teenagers were like? Or was it just conflicted, misguided teenagers?

Pascal snapped out of his own thoughts when Varian announced that he found a spot to stop. After giving the small alleyway a once over, Pascal allowed the boy to set him on a wooden crate. He watched as Varian took out item after item from his coat and put them on another nearby box. Gazing over his resources with a hand on his chin, the young alchemist grabbed the vial of, supposedly, normal water and a small white handkerchief. 

“Okay Pascal,” Varian started, moving back to face the chameleon. “I think I’ll try and clean you up first.”

With only a moment of hesitation, Pascal sat up straighter in a “go ahead” signal. Varian uncorked the vial and poured some of the water onto the handkerchief. Then, he got to work with cleaning up the chameleon. The boy was mindful with his cleaning, gently patting away dried blood from scrapes and wiping off rubble dust. Pascal winced a little when Varian went over bruises and a few large cuts, causing the boy to frown and quietly apologize. But in the end, Pascal felt much better without the grime clinging to his scales.

Once he finished cleaning, Varian put down the supplies and studied the chameleon. Pascal wondered if his injuries looked worse now without the dust covering them up. Judging from the young boy’s definitely guilty expression, Pascal guessed that it wasn’t an ideal sight. 

Varian bit his lip and reached over to get a small tube and a cotton swab. Pascal recognized the tube as an ointment that Rapunzel had used to treat scrapes in the past.

Varian turned back to Pascal with a thoughtful expression. “I didn’t have any special pain ointment for reptiles, so do you think human ointment will work?”

Pascal tilted his head with a shrug. He never got his wounds treated with any special medicine, so he could only assume that Rapunzel had always defaulted to using human ointment on him. 

“Well, it’s better than nothing,” Varian decided, squeezing some of the goopy substance on the cotton swab. “As long as it lowers the risk of possible infection, it should be fine.”

Varian kneeled in front of him with an apologetic expression. “Sorry, this might sting a bit.”

Pascal held still as the alchemist dabbed the ointment on his cuts. Aside from a slight sting on the nastier cuts, the ointment felt rather nice. The cool sensation of the salve was refreshing on his aching body. After applying the ointment, Varian grabbed the roll of bandages and started wrapping the more serious gashes.

In the quiet lull of Varian dressing his injuries, Pascal‘s mind wandered back to his many questions about the kid’s motives. For the longest time, Pascal had adopted opinions of Varian similar to the ones Rapunzel had. He had thought of Varian as a bright kid who was a bit reckless in his well-meaning work, but then turned into a dangerous foe who had to be stopped. After all, he and Varian were never really friends even before the boy betrayed Rapunzel, and their interactions had been extremely limited. Actually, looking back on all that had happened, Pascal didn’t think that _Rapunzel_ and Varian were truly friends either. 

If they were, maybe Varian wouldn’t have gone as far as he did… and maybe Rapunzel would’ve tried harder to reach out to the young kid buried within the anger.

As much as he loved Rapunzel, Pascal knew that his best friend could be a bit oblivious of how her actions affected others. He could attest to this fact himself. At one point, Rapunzel hadn’t seen how hurt Pascal was when she kept flaking on their time together in favor of her other friends and royal duties. It was only when he ran away that she finally took notice and did her best to amend her mistake.

Unfortunately for Varian, Rapunzel only somewhat realized the pain he was in after his father was encased. She never did quite follow up on her promise to him about the rocks before or after the snow storm was over, and by the time she did do anything, the boy was already criminalized by pretty much everyone in Corona and on a path into darkness. 

Pascal glanced back up at Varian. Currently, the kid was gently wrapping his leg with a small strip of bandage. He seemed extremely focused on the task, though there was a distant, wistful look in the boy’s eyes. Those same eyes once held more rage than Pascal had ever seen in someone so young. Those same eyes now inspected his small battered body with flashes of both guilt and determination to help.

Not too long ago, Pascal had been furious that Varian hurt and almost killed so many of his friends. Truthfully, he was still a bit angry. But after some time to think and some one-on-one time with Varian himself, Pascal wanted to understand where he was coming from. He and his friends may not have been able to see through Varian’s villainous theatrics during the battle with the Saporians, but thanks to the explosion separating him from the others, Pascal was able to notice the light peeking out from within. Clearly, the young boy was more than just the enraged soul he was a year ago.

What if he could convince Rapunzel and the others to reach out to Varian? That is, if Varian would be willing to turn back to the side of good when given a chance?

Well, first, Pascal would have to try and reach out to the boy himself.

* * *

Varian finished wrapping Pascal’s final cut with a bandage and dusted off his hands. “Alright, I think that’s all your injuries taken care of. How do you feel?”

Varian saw the chameleon blink rapidly as if waking up. It seemed like Pascal had gotten lost in thought while Varian finished treating his injuries. Pascal wiggled a few limbs to test out their usability. It didn’t look nearly as painful to move around now, though Pascal still winced slightly with a few movements. The small reptile settled for twisting his claw in what Varian assumed was a “so-so” gesture.

“Yeah, sorry, there’s not much I can do about some of your bruises or internal aches,” he lamented, but then brightened up. “Oh, wait! I think I do have some pain-relieving medicine!”

Varian reached back over to his supplies and picked up a vial of red liquid with a ghost of a smile. The young alchemist had been very impressed with himself when he first invented this substance. He had never been a fan of the taste nor the unpredictable results of traditional pain medicine, and Ruddiger hadn’t been fond of the taste either when he got hurt that one time. As a result, Varian worked tirelessly to make a pain medicine that both worked and tasted better, and after many trials, he finally succeeded. The new medicine was a huge accomplishment. It even managed to help his dad a few times when he came home sore after a long day of farming. 

Varian poured a small amount of medicine into a mini measuring cup and handed it to Pascal. The chameleon took the cup and peered down at the red substance hesitantly. Pascal shot a questioning look at him, obviously not trusting the mysterious red liquid. 

“Don’t worry, this is a homemade alchemical pain-relieving solution,” Varian reassured. “It should make you feel better. Plus, I made it taste like apples for Ru…” He stopped suddenly, feeling a lump form in his throat at the thought of mentioning his dear raccoon friend, and decided to change his statement. “... um, to make it easier to drink.”

If Pascal caught the poorly redirected sentence, he didn't comment on it. Instead, he gazed back down at the cup of medicine in his claws. For a few moments, Pascal seemed to debate and then steel himself for the task. With a determined look, the chameleon quickly downed the medicine in one gulp. He croaked in pleasant surprise, looking at the cup in wonder.

Varian smiled slightly and began to place the medical supplies back into his coat pockets. This small adventure had been fun, but it was about time they went their separate ways. Pascal had some friends who were probably worried sick about him.

And Varian had some “friends” who were probably wondering what was taking him so long.

* * *

Pascal saw the sad look that Varian sported while explaining the medicine, and he wasn’t entirely sure of the cause. Nevertheless, burying any doubts about the alchemist or the familiar feeling of not wanting to take medicine, Pascal drank the contents of the cup. Surprisingly, it did indeed taste like apples just like Varian had said. The boy seemed happy with Pascal’s croak of approval, and he started getting ready to go find Rapunzel.

It was now or never. 

Making up his mind, Pascal looked over at Varian and chirped to catch his attention. Varian stopped cleaning up and refocused his confused gaze back on the small chameleon.

“What’s wrong, Pascal?” Varian glanced down at the chameleon, scanning his small frame with concern. “Did I miss an injury?”

Pascal shook his head, waving off the boy’s worries. Using his best body language and charades skills, the chameleon tilted his head in question, gestured with a claw at Varian as a whole, especially his villainous outfit, and then gestured at himself and the medical supplies. Varian squinted slightly in thought, the gears in his head almost visibly turning to try and decipher his vague question. 

“Okay… you’re asking about… something...”

Pascal repeated his gestures, pointing at Varian himself and the bandages all over his body that the boy had wrapped. The young alchemist put a hand under his chin in thought. After some more thinking, Varian’s eyes widened as it finally clicked.

Just as fast, the young alchemist lowered his gaze with a somber frown. “Oh…you want to know what I’m doing, _why_ I’m doing this, right?”

Pascal nodded, thankful that Varian was able to understand the question. He watched as the boy stared off into the middle distance with a cloudy expression and furrowed brow. Numerous conflicted emotions flitted over the boy’s face in rapid succession, at war with himself over what to say. Briefly, Pascal wondered if Varian even had an answer. 

At last, the boy clenched his eyes shut and curled his hands into fists. “Like I said at the battle, everybody turned their backs on my dad. So now, I’ll erase everyone’s minds and finally get justice. That’s all there is to it.”

Pascal crossed his arms and raised a brow. Eugene had already pointed out the alchemist’s flawed logic back when he first explained his plan. Varian said that he would wipe everyone’s memory with an alchemical gas and named the compound after his father so that no one would forget they turned their backs on him, which was a bit contradictory since everyone _would_ forget about turning their backs on his father. It didn’t make sense then, and Pascal didn’t buy it now. There had to be more to the story.

Varian looked over at the chameleon with narrowed eyes. “What, you don’t believe me?” Pascal shook his head, and the alchemist let out an annoyed sigh. “Ugh, this is because of what Eugene said, isn’t it? Look, you just don’t get it. My logic checks out!” 

Pascal gave him an unimpressed look that sent his message of “no, no it doesn’t.”

Varian’s annoyance and confidence petered out just as fast as it came, morphing into another conflicted expression. The boy shifted uncomfortably, not meeting the chameleon’s gaze. Pascal softened his deadpan look in response and watched to see Varian’s next move.

The young alchemist brought his knees up to his chest and rested his arms and chin on them. “... Well, so what if I have other reasons? That never mattered to anyone before…”

The young boy curled up tighter with a dejected expression. “... Nobody cares what a messed up kid like me thinks. And it won’t matter once everyone’s memories get wiped, anyway...”

Pascal was a bit surprised, to say the least. _Messed up_? Was that how Varian thought of himself? The chameleon sadly observed the curled up kid.

For the first time, Pascal got a clear view of the broken, vulnerable boy that Varian had locked away inside of himself.

Pascal stepped to the edge of the crate and croaked at the boy. When Varian refocused on him, the chameleon looked imploringly into the kid’s downcast eyes, silently pleading for an actual explanation, a way to understand the human’s actions and thoughts.

Varian furrowed his brow in disbelief, but Pascal swore he saw a hint of hopefulness in the dulled blue eyes. “You… you really want to know?”

Pascal nodded firmly, sitting down to show that he would listen. Varian’s eyes widened minutely, and he slowly untucked from his tensed, curled up position. Patiently, Pascal waited as Varian stared off into nothing with a contemplative frown. A minute or so passed before the young boy finally spoke.

“...I just want everything to go back to how it was before.”

Pascal turned his attention back to the kid, trying to initiate eye contact that Varian doesn’t return, as though looking at the chameleon would make him lose his nerve.

“Being locked in prison forced me to reflect on everything that happened back then. After all those months in the cell, I finally saw past my anger and realized w-what I had done…And then, once the full weight of all my horrible actions hit me, all my anger drifted away. The only feeling that I had left… was guilt.” 

Varian leaned back, blowing out a breath through his nose. “That was a hard realization. The fact that I had been so angry that I betrayed my kingdom, betrayed my friends, lost my morals, almost _killed_ so many p-people…” The boy paused for a second, steadying his shaky voice. “...I wanted to fix everything. I wanted to be friends with Rapunzel and the others again, and do alchemy with Ruddiger again. I even came to terms with the fact that...my f-father would never be proud of me, and I wouldn’t be able to f-free him… I-I just wanted... to be _trusted_ again.”

The kid clasped his hands together. “But I knew that wouldn’t happen. I couldn’t see any possible way that the people of Corona would forgive me. How _could_ they forgive me? After everything I did to their monarchs, their guards, their princess...”

“...I was desperate for another way to right my wrongs. I wished I could just get rid of my mistakes, which is where the Saporians came in.” Pascal grimaced at their mention, but let the boy continue. “Andrew was my cell mate, constantly trying to pry into my thoughts, and I eventually explained all the things I just told you to him. Once I did, he proposed a plan. He said that the Saporians had a way to erase people’s memories, and if I helped them break out of jail and take over the kingdom, they would help me wipe the citizen’s minds of my past misdeeds.”

Varian made eye contact with Pascal, but he quickly looked away, obscuring his face with his shaggy bangs. “... I didn’t want to hurt anyone else or do more bad things, but I saw no other options. Who would ever give me another chance? So… I agreed. And here we are now.”

As the boy finished his story, Pascal frowned. So Varian really did want to change for the better, but was just going about it the wrong way. That was a small reassurance for the faint voice in the back of his head that kept saying the alchemist had dark intentions. Moreover, in all the chameleon’s experience, Rapunzel had always been a rather forgiving person. Sure, Varian had done some bad things, but if he truly wanted to become a better person, Rapunzel definitely wouldn’t turn him away.

Pascal tried to say as much, standing up on two legs, changing his color palette to purple and yellow, and pretending to have long blonde hair like Rapunzel’s. After looking at Pascal in confusion for a few moments, Varian’s face auickly changed to look at him like he was insane. 

“You think _Rapunzel_ would forgive me?” At Pascal’s nod, the boy scoffed slightly. “Yeah, right. The princess doesn’t have any reason to forgive me! Of all people, she’s the one who should hate me the most. Everything I did ended up hurting her, her friends, and her family. The only way she could ever trust me again is if she _forgets_ what I did to her.”

Pascal croaked, getting as close to Varian’s face as he could from the crate. He silently pleaded, screamed that “ _no, that’s not the only way, you can do so much better!”_ But alas, the young human couldn’t quite understand. Pascal had never hated the human-animal language barrier more than now.

Varian simply frowned, gazing sadly at him. “You’re so sure that Rapunzel would forgive me, but what about you? Do _you_ forgive me?”

Pascal stilled at the question. He had trusted the boy enough to take him safely back to Rapunzel, but forgive him? Varian had helped him more than necessary by treating his wounds, and he just admitted to feeling awful about everything he had done. Even so, did he really forgive him? After all the betrayal, anger, and trouble he had caused?

Honestly...

...No, he didn’t.

He couldn’t in good conscience tell Varian that he forgave him.

Pascal’s crestfallen expression and extended silence was enough of an answer for the human. Something in Varian seemed to break even more at the chameleon’s implied response. The boy’s misty gaze dropped away, and Pascal didn’t try to meet his eyes this time.

“...Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

The two sat in awkward silence for what felt like an eternity, avoiding the other’s gaze. Even the sounds of the night had quieted down, as if the creatures were waiting to hear what would happen next.

With a heavy sigh, Varian pushed himself to his feet and put away the rest of the medical supplies that were long since forgotten after their conversation began. Then, he held out a hand for Pascal to climb onto.

“Let’s go. Rapunzel is probably worried about you.”

Pascal looked at the hand sadly. He didn’t want to just leave when he got so close to reaching the kid, but he supposed he didn’t have a choice. Reluctantly, the chameleon walked onto Varian’s hand, a lot less painfully thanks to the alchemist’s medicine. Once there, Varian tucked him back into his empty pocket and walked out of the alley.

Neither of them spoke a word to each other as they traveled through the town, looking for his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Sorry if the writing on this one felt a bit wonky. Feel free to let me know what you think, and I’ll see you next time in what should (hopefully) be the actual final chapter!


	4. End of a Journey, Start of a Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time to say farewell, but Pascal isn’t giving up on the young alchemist quite yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I’m really sorry this took so long to write! I got distracted with other real life things and kinda neglected writing for awhile. But now, after several weeks, we’re finally here at the end of this story!
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy this final chapter!

A year ago, if someone had told Pascal that he would be curled up in Varian’s pocket and want to  _ comfort _ the kid of all things, he wouldn’t have believed them.

And yet, here he was.

Pascal glanced up at said kid. Varian hadn’t spoken since they left the alley and began the search for Rapunzel. The boy’s face was unreadable, and he didn’t return his attempts at eye contact. The chameleon supposed that he couldn’t blame him. After all, he did just admit to Varian that he couldn’t forgive him, which was clearly what the kid desperately wanted. With a twinge of sadness, Pascal wondered if Varian had hoped that at least he might be able to forgive him, considering how much trouble the boy went through to help him escape.

And Pascal crushed that hope to bits...The guilt gnawed at his conscience.

...Still...

Although Pascal hated seeing Varian so dispirited, he knew that he couldn’t say that he forgave him. As much as he  _ really _ didn’t want the misguided teen to think that there was no hope of being forgiven, Pascal respected Varian enough to tell him the truth. He understood why Varian did what he did, and he truly wanted the boy to change for the better and get help, but he couldn’t quite make the leap to forgive yet. Plus, Pascal didn’t think it would be helpful to tell Varian that he forgave him without completely meaning it.

Oh, how Pascal wished that Rapunzel was with him. She had always been the more forgiving between the two of them, whereas he was always the more skeptical. Their slight differences in personality complemented each other rather well, and they worked better when together. Sure, Pascal’s skepticism alone was able to draw out Varian’s explanation in a way Rapunzel likely couldn’t, but that same trait also made it hard to trust and forgive the kid even once he knew his reasoning.

Pascal didn’t want this to be the end. Varian was ready to make up for his mistakes, but he needed a better person to help him do it. Definitely not  _ Andrew _ and a bunch of  _ terrorists _ . And despite how much he wanted to help the young boy, Pascal knew that he himself couldn’t be that person, either.

No matter what his best friend and the young alchemist had done to each other in the past, Rapunzel might be Varian’s best bet at being forgiven and redeemed.

Pascal could only hope that both sides would take the chance, if prompted.

* * *

Varian felt the chameleon’s persistent gaze burning holes into him, but he couldn’t bring himself to meet it. What more was there to say? Pascal was the only one who saw the flawed logic in his plan and cared enough to ask for the truth. If  _ he _ couldn’t forgive him for all the things he had done, how would anyone else?

Lance only “met” him when he was knee deep in rage and sending automatons after everyone on the battlefield. Cassandra was nowhere to be found, and wherever she was, she probably hated him for trying to crush her. Flynn, no,  _ Eugene _ never trusted him from the beginning, and he also probably hated him for trying to kill his girlfriend. Corona as a whole never believed in him, based on how fast they all turned on him, and their king and queen didn’t even remember who he was anymore.

And then, the princess herself.

No matter what Pascal said, there was absolutely  _ no way _ Rapunzel would forgive him. As painful as it was for him to realize, Varian wasn’t really a close friend of hers before this whole disaster, so he couldn’t even hope to pull the friendship card. He had looked her in the eyes as she pleaded with him not to steal the sundrop flower and said that he couldn’t trust her, and she gave up on their friendship and trying to reason with him soon after. Plus, she was the one he targeted and was most hurt by all the things he did. She had no reason to forgive him, and Varian didn’t think she would either.

That’s why working with the Saporians and making everyone forget was the only way.

Varian felt Pascal roughly shake his coat, clearly trying to get his attention when simply staring at him had failed. The alchemist continued to walk, attempting to ignore Pascal in favor of searching for the chameleon’s friends. To his annoyance, the reptile was determined to say something, and he kept jostling. 

After several minutes of fruitless shaking, Pascal stopped, and Varian internally breathed a sigh of relief. Until, all of a sudden, the chameleon let out one of the saddest sounds he had ever heard.

Varian finally stopped in his tracks, mostly out of shock. With a wince, the young alchemist remembered when he had last heard a sound like that: a year ago, back when he first turned into a bad guy, and his best friend had to watch the spiral.  


Ruddiger constantly tried to stop him from going down a dark path in his desperate attempts to free his dad. When that didn’t work, the critter persisted, urging him to at the very least rest and take care of himself. Of course, the stubborn alchemist never wanted to stop for anything, but whenever his loyal raccoon friend whined in such a sorrowful way, he would finally relent and take a quick power nap or nab an apple from the storage. Sadly, it didn’t last, as even Ruddiger’s pleas became background noise to his building rage.

Varian looked down at the chameleon in his pocket. He swallowed a lump in his throat when he saw Pascal stare back with a pleading look, reminding him of his old friend’s saddened black masked eyes. A tiny voice in his head whispered that he should try and listen to the reptile's plea, unlike how he handled Ruddiger’s back then.

Sighing, and mentally cursing his soft spot for animals, Varian ducked into another alley for cover. After scanning for any people, the boy turned his gaze back to the chameleon with a frown. “Alright, fine. What is it?”

Pascal gestured to his Saporian clothes and the alchemy balls stored all over his person, then clasped his claws in a pleading manner and shook his head. The message was pretty clear.

“Look Pascal, I think our conversation earlier made things pretty clear,” Varian said. “You can’t forgive me, and I get it, really. But if  _ you _ can’t forgive me, then what are the chances that anyone else will? It’ll be better for everyone if they just forget what happened. We can all be friends again, and no one has to struggle to forgive. It’s the only way.”

Pascal vehemently shook his head, changing colors to look like Rapunzel once more. Varian scoffed. “Yeah, you keep saying that, but why would she forgive me? I did  _ so much _ to hurt her, and in her eyes, I’m probably still the same person I was back then. Only now I added ‘took over her kingdom’ to my list of crimes.”

Varian dropped his gaze, looking away. “And even if I tried asking for forgiveness, what would I say? And what if she ended up refusing? What if, once I admit my wrongdoings and beg for another chance, she has me thrown back into prison?”

The young boy rubbed his gloved wrists, feeling like a heavy weight was dragging them down and chafing the skin. Months after breaking out of jail, the phantom pains of the metal cuffs they kept on him still lingered. “I-I can’t go back there again… No matter how much I deserved it…”

Pascal looked at his hand motions and the implications of them with concern. Quickly, the chameleon shook his head and gave him a look. If Varian had to guess, it seemed like Pascal was appalled that he even suggested Rapunzel would ever do such a thing. 

Somewhere, buried deep in his mind under desperate and misguided thoughts, a part of Varian wondered if he should believe Pascal. He was Rapunzel’s best friend, so he had to know her pretty well. Maybe the princess really could forgive him?

But his lingering anxieties clamped over his mind and snuffed out the logic. The cowardly fear of facing the Saporians’ wrath after giving up on their plan. Or, more importantly, the awful, paralyzing fear of getting locked away in shackles for the rest of his life, without a shot at atoning for his mistakes or being forgiven...

Varian blinked away the tears that started to well up in his eyes. “No,” he ground out. “There’s too much that could go wrong if I ask. I can’t do it. End of discussion.”

Pascal looked like he wanted to object, but he struggled to find a way to respond. Suddenly, before anything else could be said, the two heard a noise not far away that caught their attention. At first, Varian recognized the familiar sound of tools hitting metal, possibly blacksmithing.

Then, two voices. One female, one male.

Varian jolted, and he felt Pascal have a similar reaction.

He knew those voices.

* * *

  
Pascal learned at least one more thing from trying to reason with Varian a second time; the kid was  _ stubborn _ . Just when it looked like his pleas got through to him, Varian shut it down. 

Well, actually, he did learn something else; Varian was afraid. He was most obviously afraid of not being forgiven by yet another person, but judging by the way the boy rubbed his wrists and started tearing up, there were probably other factors as well.

That knowledge might have helped his next argument, if a noise nearby hadn’t distracted them. Pascal cursed the fact that the sound effectively ended their conversation. However, his unhappiness turned to surprise when he heard voices among the noise. He recognized them immediately: Rapunzel and Eugene.

Varian had flinched too, and Pascal noticed a multitude of emotions run across the kid’s face as he seemingly realized the owners of the voices too. Slowly and quietly, Varian creeped towards where the sounds came from. Pascal held his breath, anxious to what sight could await once they reached the source of the noise. His worries of Rapunzel and the others being hurt from the explosion poked at his psyche.

After walking to the other end of the alley they had ducked into, Varian stopped just shy of the exit and hid behind a barrel. The boy peeked over the rim, and Pascal heard a soft gasp escape the other’s mouth. The chameleon shifted to look around the barrel as well, and he felt a weight lift off his chest.

There, standing in front of Xavier’s blacksmith shop a few meters away, was Rapunzel and Eugene.

From what Pascal could tell, Rapunzel was making something with the blacksmith’s equipment. It appeared she had just finished the actual forging and moved on to decorating…a frying pan? Well, maybe her old one got damaged somehow. For some reason, his friend appeared a bit distressed by something, though he couldn’t tell what.

Eugene was standing beside Rapunzel, speaking to her as she worked. Pascal couldn’t quite make out what he was saying since they were still pretty far away, but the ex-thief seemed concerned. If Pascal was reading Eugene right, the man didn’t just look concerned about the whole Saporian situation, but about Rapunzel herself. The chameleon briefly flinched at the thought that she could have been worried sick about him when she realized he was missing. And it didn’t help that it was so soon after Cass… Pascal felt the strong urge to go comfort his friend. 

Suddenly, with impeccable timing, Varian reached down to take him out of the pocket. Pascal was placed onto the cobblestone ground with an air of finality and gently nudged forward. The chameleon frowned and turned to look at the young boy. Pascal didn’t feel ready to just leave the kid to his own questionable thoughts and even more questionable partners in crime. 

Varian had a barely concealed dejected look on his face, seemingly as unsure about the abrupt parting as Pascal felt. Despite this, the boy simply made a hand motion to go on. Pascal croaked quietly and took a few steps back towards Varian. He grabbed a part of the human’s jacket, pointing in the direction of Rapunzel and Eugene. Varian shook his head, pulling the fabric away. 

“No,” he whispered. “This is where we part ways. I said I’d help you get back to your friends, and that’s it. I’ll go back to what I was doing, you’ll go back to Rapunzel, and we can pretend this never happened.” Varian chuckled, though Pascal couldn’t sense any humor in his voice. “Well, I guess you won’t have to  _ pretend _ . In a little while, you won’t remember this at all.”

Pascal felt his frown deepen, trying to object. In response, Varian just pushed him forward again. Still being sore from the healing injuries, the small chameleon couldn’t put up much of a fight against the young, though comparatively larger, human. After a short struggle, Pascal begrudgingly relented and faced the exit of the alley. In the time it took him and Varian to have their argument, Eugene had left the immediate area. Rapunzel now stood by herself, inspecting her new weapon with a thoughtful gaze.

Pascal shot one last glance at Varian. The kid stared back at him silently, waiting for the chameleon to go. With a heavy heart, Pascal finally broke eye contact and walked away from the young alchemist.

Pascal approached Rapunzel as she was turned away from him. He hesitated only a moment before croaking loudly to announce his presence. He saw Rapunzel jolt with shock, dropping the pan with a metallic thud. Gasping, she turned around and met his smiling gaze. Rapunzel’s warm green eyes lit up in excitement and relief, her trademark sunny grin adorning her face.

“Pascal!” Rapunzel quickly scooped him up and hugged him to her cheek. Pascal felt his freshly treated wounds and bruises complain from the force of the hug, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He nuzzled his head against her cheek, happy to be with his best friend again.

After a few long moments, Rapunzel pulled away from the hug, eyes both curious and concerned. “Oh, I was so worried about you! I didn’t know where you went after the explosion, and then the Saporians chased us away before I could search more. Where have you been? Are you hurt?”

Pascal glanced at his bandages, and Rapunzel’s eyes followed. “Oh no, you  _ are _ hurt!” She gasped, but then tilted her head in confusion at the sight of the bandages. “Wait, you got treated? How? Did someone help you?”

Pascal nodded, suddenly getting an idea. He turned back towards the alley and pointed with his tail. Pascal squinted at the barrel he knew Varian had hid behind, mentally trying to will the young alchemist out, but nothing happened. He frowned in frustration. Had Varian already snuck away?

Rapunzel had followed his gaze, and she frowned, perplexed. “Hello?” she called out, walking slowly towards the dark alley to investigate. “Is anyone there?”

No reply.

Rapunzel paused after taking a few steps into the alleyway and looked around, searching for what Pascal had pointed her towards. The chameleon himself glanced at the barrel Varian had been hiding behind, but his face fell when he saw no one was there anymore. He proceeded to swivel his head around as well, just in case Varian had moved spots. Alas, there was no sign of the young alchemist anywhere. Nobody else appeared to be in the alley.

Rapunzel rested a hand on her hip. “Well Pascal, whoever or whatever you were looking at isn’t here anymore.”

Pascal dropped his head in defeat. So, Varian really had left. The boy was going through with his plan of wiping everyone’s memories…

The boy wasn’t able to believe he had a chance at forgiveness.

Rapunzel pet his head with a sympathetic smile, not quite understanding his sorrow but always willing to comfort him. “Sorry, bud. But hey, you’re back now! That’s the most important part, right?”

Pascal shrugged noncommittally, still a bit bummed out. However, he perked up slightly when a thought occurred to him. Maybe not all hope was lost. Varian couldn’t find the strength to reach out to Rapunzel himself, but what if… Pascal could convince  _ Rapunzel _ to reach out to  _ Varian _ ?

As Pascal ruminated on this thought, Rapunzel started walking back out of the alley. “Oh, the others will be so glad to see you too!” she exclaimed. “Come on, let’s go see them! I’ll get you something to rest on and take a closer look at your injuries.”

Pascal vaguely registered his friend’s words as she headed to Xavier’s shop. The chameleon stared back at the dim alleyway, a frown on his face as he wondered what would come of the young, conflicted boy.  
  


* * *

Unbeknownst to Rapunzel and Pascal, Varian had actually stayed during their reunion. Because of the many months he spent sneaking through Corona’s back alleys to hide from angry townsfolk, the young alchemist had become well versed in hiding within the shadows. Once Pascal had finally given up his attempts to change his mind and walked over to the princess, Varian quietly backed away and hid at the far end of the alley. The heavy shadows of crates and barrels, along with his dark outfit and hair, helped conceal him well. 

Despite everything, Varian felt his lips twitch upwards at Rapunzel’s excited and relieved shouts and Pascal’s content squeaks. The alchemist was glad that he managed to do one good thing. Maybe it would ease the clenching of his heart when he thought of what he was ultimately going to do…

Varian felt his blood run cold as the chameleon turned to search the alley for him. The boy curled further into himself, nestling deeper into his shadowy hiding spot. He heard the princess’ light footsteps echo on the cobblestones as she walked into the alley. Varian breathed lightly, waiting to hear what would happen. At last, Rapunzel announced that she didn’t see anyone around, much to the hidden alchemist’s relief.

Varian waited until the sound of Rapunzel’s voice and steps were gone before slowly getting to his feet. After one cursory glance around the area, he speedwalked out of the alley, opposite the way Rapunzel and Pascal had gone.

As he walked back towards the castle, the young alchemist planned what he would say to the Saporians once he got back.

_ Maybe I can say I got lost?  _ Varian wondered.  _ Or that it took me a while to find what I was looking for? _

He dug through one of his pockets and found a vial of salt he had collected from the castle kitchen some time ago.  _ I guess I can pass this off as ammonium perchlorate if any of them ask, _ he mused with a small smirk.  _ They wouldn’t know the difference. _

As for the optimal places to hit with the Quirineon that he had promised Andrew, Varian figured he would be able to think of many good locations. Even so, he hoped that he wouldn’t have to relay this information. The young boy was already rather conflicted on the whole matter, so doing more malicious scheming didn’t sound appealing to him.

Varian put the vial back into his pocket, satisfied that he had a good lie for the Saporians. In the process, he glanced down at his other empty pocket, half expecting there to be a small chameleon looking back. The boy felt a pang in his chest. Despite the tense situation they had been in, Varian actually missed Pascal’s company now. For the first time in about a year, someone was willing to just listen to what he had to say without really having a reason. Sure, Andrew did start conversation a few months ago when they were cellmates, but Varian didn’t really think the man wanted to listen unless it benefited himself. Nevertheless, the change of company from the Saporians to Pascal was nice, however short it may have been.

Once again, Varian felt doubt start to creep in. Pascal had insisted more than once that Rapunzel would be able to forgive him even though the chameleon couldn’t himself, and he offered Varian the chance to talk to her several times as well. Wasn’t that really what he wanted at the end of the day? The chance to be friends with Rapunzel and everyone else again? To be forgiven?

His pace slowed slightly, and he glanced back at the way he came. The place where Rapunzel, Pascal, and presumably their other friends were. Varian hesitated, feeling something deep inside him say to go back and find them again. And for a moment, he almost did.

But that moment passed.

Varian clenched his eyes shut with a long exhale and turned away. He couldn’t bring himself to face her. Not while she still remembered everything he did to hurt her. Not while the anger and mistrust would remain on her face, along with everyone else’s. Not while she was likely to have him simply put back in jail for his crimes.

The young boy trudged along the path to the castle once more, mind made up. The plan would continue as expected, and the Quirineon would wipe Corona’s memories... 

...Varian wished that plan wasn’t such a hard pill to swallow now.

The young alchemist came to a brief stop, seeing that his feet managed to lead him back to the castle courtyard themselves. He sighed, mentally preparing for what was to come. Jumbled thoughts swirling around in his head, Varian walked back into the conquered palace. 

Hidden in the brush of the courtyard, a certain furry critter watched the young boy go inside. He had remained on the sidelines since Varian had forced him to leave, not wanting to go against the kid’s wishes, but keeping an eye on the human nonetheless. Still though, the animal looked sorrowfully at where Varian had been just moments before, desperately hoping for someone to help his wayward friend.

* * *

In the secret bunker of Xavier the blacksmith’s shop, Pascal sat on a small soft cloth while Rapunzel examined his injuries. Luckily, she opted to not undo Varian’s careful bandaging for fear of worsening the wounds underneath, but she did do a thorough check of the rest of his beaten up body.

“Well, aside from a lot of bruises and cuts, you look mostly okay,” Rapunzel decided, standing up straight. “Surprising, considering how big that explosion was. Whoever helped treat you did a pretty good job.”

Eugene, who had been sitting on a stool nearby, chimed in with a confused frown. “Actually, come to think of it, who  _ did _ help you, frog? Last I checked, pretty much everyone in that castle is either an enemy or memory-wiped. Not the best people to ask for help from.”

“That  _ is _ a good question,” Rapunzel responded, confusion on her face as well. She turned back to the chameleon with an inquiring gaze.

Pascal perked up, seeing his opportunity. He changed colors to mimic Varian, notably shifting to have black “hair” with a single blue streak and cupping his claws above his head to represent the alchemist’s goggles.

Rapunzel’s eyes widened. “Wait,  _ Varian _ ?”

“Hold up,” Eugene held out a hand, giving Pascal an incredulous look. “ _ Varian _ ? As in the kid who literally tried to destroy us all a year ago? And helped terrorists take over Corona?  _ That _ Varian?”

Pascal winced at the harsh description, but he nodded anyway. Lance walked over, having eavesdropped on the whole conversation. “Yeah, why would he help any of us? He fought right alongside the Saporians in that battle earlier.”

The chameleon once again wished for the ability to fully convey his thoughts to his human companions. If he could, he would be able to explain what he had learned about Varian’s true motives and get them to understand that it wasn’t too late for the kid. He looked to Rapunzel with an imploring gaze, pleading for her to reach a similar conclusion herself. Luckily, his best friend seemed to be examining this new information carefully. Rapunzel glanced down at the floor for a few moments, face scrunched in thought. Then, she looked up towards the bunker’s stairs in what Pascal assumed was the general direction of the castle.

“Maybe…” she began slowly. “There’s more to Varian than we think?”

Pascal croaked affirmatively, earning a skeptical look from Eugene. “Sure, Hairstripe helped Pascal out by treating some cuts, but he’s still planning to wipe everyone's memories, isn’t he?”

Pascal looked away from the man, unsure how to respond. Rapunzel remained silent as well, still staring up blankly. The chameleon croaked at her, slightly unnerved by his friend’s long silence. Rapunzel snapped out of her trance at the sound, and she cleared her throat with a plastered on smile, effectively changing the subject. “Well, I should probably have my trusty frying pan all ready to go. So, uh, I’ll just, go finish that up real quick,,” she rambled, slowly beginning to inch backwards to the stairs.

Eugene quirked a brow at her. “Um, Blondie, shouldn’t we be discussing a plan to stop the Saporians?”

“Oh, uh, yeah! Yeah, of course we will,” Rapunzel reassured quickly. “You guys go ahead and get started without me, and I’ll, uh, come back down once I’m done.”

With that, Rapunzel turned on her heel and walked up the stairs. Pascal watched her go with a confused expression on his face, and he saw Eugene and Lance do the same. Despite the two men’s apparent concern for Rapunzel, they seem to make the decision to give her some space for now. She had been acting rather strangely ever since Cassandra’s sudden betrayal: forcing smiles, brushing off the whole incident, not admitting how she felt about being betrayed by one of her closest friends. 

However, Pascal wasn’t Rapunzel’s best friend for nothing. He knew the signs of when Rapunzel was about to make a bold, sometimes dangerous, decision. Sensing his friend was up to something, the chameleon slowly made his way off the table to go after her, sneaking past the other humans beginning to brainstorm plans.

When Pascal made it out of the bunker, he saw Rapunzel put her finished frying pan in her purse and turn towards the castle with a determined expression. Pascal narrowed his eyes, understanding what she planned to do and not liking it one bit. 

She was going to storm the castle.  _ Alone _ .

Well, not if he could help it.

As Rapunzel took the first cautious steps out of the blacksmith, Pascal darted over to her and managed to grasp the bottom of her skirt. She gasped softly, looking down to see him with surprised and worried eyes.

“Pascal, what are you doing out here?” Rapunzel whispered harshly, picking Pascal up. “You should be resting right now!”

The chameleon gave her an unimpressed look, crossing his front legs together and shooting a glance over at the castle she had been heading to. Rapunzel winced, realizing she was caught. Then, she huffed and smiled wryly. 

“Guess I should’ve known that I wouldn’t be able to fool you,” she sighed, giving the reptile a little head rub. But her smile quickly fell back into a more serious look. “I need to take back my kingdom, Pascal. And I think it’s better if I go solo, without anyone else, including you.”

Pascal squeaked his disapproval with this plan, feeling slightly hurt that she didn’t even want to bring him with her. 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you or anything!” she quickly amended. “It’s just… you’re hurt, and I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you, or anyone else...” 

Rapunzel gazed down at her pale blue purse, a gift from Cass back when the two of them first became friends. “... I’m not sure if I could handle losing someone else…”

Pascal’s expression softened at the confession. He patted his friend’s hand, both to comfort her and get her attention. Rapunzel raised her gaze to meet his, and Pascal tried to push all of the reassurances he couldn’t say into his expression. Judging by the soft smile she let show, it seemed to work.

“Thanks buddy,” Rapunzel whispered, looking fondly at him. She gazed back up at her original destination and then down at Pascal again. “Well, I guess if I left you here, you’d tattle on me to the others… Alright, you can come with me.”

Pascal croaked excitedly and hugged her thumb. Chuckling lightly, Rapunzel carefully situated him on her shoulder. Pascal still felt a bit weaker than usual, but he managed to find a decently comfortable position. With him secured, Rapunzel began a brisk walk to the castle.

During the walk, Pascal’s thoughts traveled back to the young alchemist. He successfully planted the thought of Varian being not that bad a person into his friends’ heads, but he knew that it would take more than his word alone to persuade everyone to give him a chance. At the very least, Rapunzel seemed open to the idea of the kid being more than he appeared. Hopefully, if they ran into Varian when they got into the castle, Rapunzel might be willing to listen to what he has to say.

As if reading his mind, Rapunzel broke the comfortable silence. “Pascal, you said that Varian was the one who helped you out, right? The person you wanted to find in the alley?”

The chameleon looked over at his friend, seeing a complex expression on her face that furrowed her brows a bit. He nodded, and she hummed in thought.

“Well, I know Eugene and the others aren’t too keen with him. Honestly, I still don’t think I know how to feel about him, either...” Rapunzel shook her head slightly. “But, I don’t really want to fight him. After all, he helped you out despite everything that’s happened. Pascal, you probably know more about him now then any of us do...” She set her shoulders, gearing up for what Pascal could tell was an important question.

“So, I have to ask… Do you think that Varian can be reasoned with? That he’s still a good person at heart?”

Pascal nodded without hesitation. In spite of his own inability to fully forgive the young boy, Pascal could wholeheartedly say that Varian wasn’t a lost cause. He saw it in short glimpses during their brief journey together: the conflicted looks, the awful alchemy jokes, the small, genuine smiles. There was still a chance for the kid to be better. He just needed a push in the right direction.

Which, Pascal hoped, his best friend might be able to provide.

Rapunzel seemed to take a few moments to process Pascal’s enthusiastic response. Many emotions flickered across her face, too fast for him to catch. Finally, she breathed a long exhale. “Well, I trust you, Pascal. If I can, I’ll try to talk to him.

Pascal smiled, feeling accomplished. It wasn’t much, but convincing Rapunzel to give Varian a chance was a start. If Rapunzel’s track record of forgiving and changing the lives of former thugs was any indication, she was the most likely to forgive the young alchemist out of anyone.

Pascal could only hope it would be enough, as at long last, they had reached the underground tunnels of the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you could probably tell, the end of this fic leads pretty much back into the canon episode of Rapunzel’s Return. It would probably be about the same from there, just with Rapunzel being a bit more willing to reach out to Varian and Pascal getting a little more focus. And hey, who knows, maybe I’ll write a continuation of this in a future story.
> 
> Hoo boy, this was a challenge to write. It pushed me beyond the bounds of anything I have written thus far, and I’m just happy that I managed to finish it.
> 
> I’d like to thank the person who gave me this idea in the first place. Unfortunately, he deleted his tumblr awhile back, but I’d nevertheless like to mention it! Also, big thanks to the people who commented! What originally was supposed to be a quick one/two-shot became a four chapter behemoth of a story, and that only happened because of reader input!
> 
> If you enjoyed this, consider reading my other fics! I’ve got plans to (hopefully) write more. Whether it’s about TTS or another fandom, I hope you’ll stick around! Anyways, thank you for reading! Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments!


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